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About this issue

It is, undeniably, the age of woman. It has been over 45 years since Helen Reddy famously sang “I am woman, hear me roar.” Now women from all industries, from the movie studios in Hollywood to the boardrooms of the Arab world, have done just that. And the world has had no choice but to stand up and listen.

But as any woman will tell you, she could not fulfil her true potential without the right partner. Sometimes this partner is the person you live with, sometimes it is your mentor, and sometimes it is your workplace, or even anyone in a position to offer you support.

We are proud, in this 25th issue, to be covering Deloitte’s own champions of women’s rights and gender equality. In a special insert, Rana Salhab, David Sproul and Emma Codd, recipients of the 2017 Financial Times’ HERoes award for champions of women in business, weigh in on what it takes to empower women in the workplace: the differences in the Middle East and Europe, and gender pay gap.

There is no doubt that changes in the cultural landscape will eventually affect changes in the workplace. That is precisely what Ghassan Turqieh says in his article Agile in the public sector in which he posits that change in the public sector is not a choice, but a necessity. “Leaders need to consider modernizing their approach to managing the day-to-day business,” he says. “Moreover, particularly in Saudi Arabia, women are becoming increasingly involved, heavily encouraged and expected to participate in the workforce. These dynamics will inevitably drive public sector leaders to modernize, embrace changes and deploy appropriate talent solutions, not only to maintain a motivated workforce internally but also to address their citizens’ needs,” he continues.

Ziad Haddad takes the other viewpoint when it comes to Business Continuity Management i.e. the ability of an organization to maintain essential functions during, and after a disaster has occurred, seeing it not only as a necessity but as a system that, “when properly implemented […] not only affects strategy but also protects all the processes of high value to the organization.” Read more on the subject in his article Business continuity: a different perspective.

But sometimes what is called for is not continuity, rather, disruption. E-commerce has drastically changed the global retail market say Anish Mehta and Sachin Bhanvari in their article, Going digital: the next frontier for Middle East retail. “But this megatrend,” they say, “which has transformed the dynamics of consumer behavior and business models in retail, remains untapped in the Middle East and offers huge potential for industry players.”

Who says disruption, says fintech, and who says fintech, says cryptocurrency. In the first of our two enlightening articles on this digital evolution, Rajeev Patel and Uthman Al-Basri caution that “failure to address it early, can trounce even the most dominant of companies […] The use of blockchain technology has enabled the rapid ascent of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin into public discourse, igniting a frenzy of interest while creating fundamental challenges to regulators and money markets.” In their article on fintech, they warn readers not to “remain analogue in a digital world.”

From their side, Nipun Srivastava and Saad Qureshi counsel that cryptocurrencies are still “highly volatile.” In their article Regulating cryptocurrencies, they outline some of the challenges regarding the adoption of cryptocurrencies and some of the ways forward in regulating them.

In my own article charting the last eight years and celebrating our 25th issue, I mention that some of our perennial features include the construction and property sector in Dubai and this issue is no exception. Martin Cooper, in his article The development of Dubai’s affordable housing sector, addresses some of the challenges facing this vital yet troubled sector.

We are very proud to have come this far with you, dear reader, and hope that you have been enjoying reading our magazine as much as we have enjoyed producing it. Here’s to the next 25!

We are 25

Eight years and twenty-five issues ago, the Middle East Point of View magazine was conceived. The mandate: to create a magazine that conveys “uninhibited and independent views and opinions” on the region’s issues of most concern.

Agile in the public sector

Globally, the public sector is undergoing radical digital reforms and transformations as a result of increasing costs and budget pressures, the changing needs of citizens and most importantly, the rise of new technological breakthroughs and disruptions.

Business continuity

Business Continuity Management (BCM)—the ability of an organization to maintain essential functions during, and after a disaster has occurred—should not be perceived as a compliance requirement only. When properly implemented, it is a system that not only affects strategy, but also protects all the processes of high value to the organization.

Going digital

The proliferation of e-commerce has drastically changed the global retail market. But this megatrend, which has transformed the dynamics of consumer behavior and business models in retail, remains untapped in the Middle East and offers huge potential for industry players.

Fintech

Financial technology (fintech) is revolutionizing the banking landscape the same way Uber has disrupted the taxi industry and Airbnb has shaken up the hospitality sector. This digital evolution, and failure to address it early, can trounce even the most dominant of companies.

FT HERoes award

There are many talented and qualified women in the region and we need to help this talent rise up to the challenge and grasp the opportunities offered by businesses. There is a need to create a cultural shift, so that recognizing women for their potential is not hindered by subconscious biases, or driven only by the desire to show an increase in figures.

Regulating cryptocurrencies

Virtual currency (VC) and digital currency are a new class of digital assets (money) that allow borderless transactions. The number and valuation of virtual currencies has risen to over 1,300 VCs with a total market capitalization of over US$465 billion as of December 2017 (Figure 1).

The development of Dubai’s affordable housing sector

Residential development in Dubai has increasingly focused on the mid-market sector in recent years. Developers have launched mid-market residential projects in locations that include Al Furjan, Dubailand, Dubai Production City, Dubai South and Jumeirah Village Circle.

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